However, it doesn’t have to always be about blood, guts, and gore. While the zombie concept sprouted in the horror genre, things have taken an interesting turn since. Dozens of zombie-related movies and TV shows are released every year, and although much of it is more of the same, some content-creators are delivering fresh ideas.

If you prefer TV shows to movies, then you’ll find some great content to watch this Halloween on Netflix — from horror to comedy, from drama to action. Here are the zombie shows we recommend…

The Walking Dead needs no introduction. Even if you’ve never watched it, you’ve certainly heard of it. In 2016, it finished its fourth straight year as the most popular drama in the 18-49 demographic according to Nielsen ratings.

But assuming you’ve never seen or heard of it, here’s what you need to know: a comatose sheriff in rural Georgia wakes up and finds himself in a world overrun with zombies. He sets out to find his family, and runs into all kinds of trouble along the way.

The Walking Dead is extremely well-produced: atmospheric, on-point cinematography, top-notch costume design and special effects, etc. But the writing is slow and shaky throughout all of its seasons. Is it thrilling? Sure. But it’s slow, and as it’s often described, The Walking Dead isn’t so much a zombie show as it is a soap opera with zombies.

Z Nation is, in many ways, the exact opposite of The Walking Dead. Whereas The Walking Dead loves to build up and stretch out suspense through slow-burning plotlines, Z Nation is all about the action. It’s fast, it’s thrilling, and it will leave you breathless.

If you’re tired of zombies that are lumbering sacks of rotting meat, you’re in for a treat. Z Nation pulls its inspiration from films like 28 Days Later, where zombies are rage-filled and semi-intelligent. It’s frightful to watch and fills a hole that The Walking Dead left wide open.

iZombie is a series on The CW loosely adapted from a comic book series of the same name. The premise involves a medical student who gets turned into a zombie and must eat brains to keep from raging — but she also absorbs the memories and personalities of those she eats. These memories help her to solve criminal investigations.

It sounds silly, but iZombie is an excellent example of a show where execution is all that matters. The cast is mostly great, the stories are engaging, and it walks a fine tightrope between several genres: crime, horror, comedy, and romance. It still feels like a show on The CW — it’s a bit corny at times and doesn’t have the best camera work — but it’s one of the better ones for sure.

By the way, iZombie was co-created by Rob Thomas, best known for creating Veronica Mars. The two shows share a lot in common as far as tone and dialogue, so if you loved the latter, you should absolutely check this one out.

Do you like your TV shows to be more than mindless entertainment? Then you’ll probably enjoy Dead Set, which is an exploration of what might happen on the set of Big Brother if the world succumbed to a zombie outbreak during filming. It’s horror, yes, but also acts as commentary on the state of modern media and entertainment.

Santa Clarita Diet is a divisive comedy show: it’s a bit rough in the first two episodes, but it will grow on you if you give it a chance. The hardest thing to accept is that this show intentionally goes for an over-the-top, over-acted style of humor that won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

What’s it about? Joel and Sheila are a pair of California realtors who wake up one day to find that Sheila now craves human flesh. Santa Clarita Diet explores the comical side of how a husband, wife, and daughter might deal with such a life-changing event.

From the creator of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica comes Helix, a science-fiction show that follows an Arctic research team tasked with investigating a disease outbreak. While infected victims don’t necessarily become zombies, the similarities will satisfy zombie tastes.

Unfortunately, Helix received mixed reviews and was cancelled after two seasons. It’s not a bad show per se, but many viewers thought that it tried to do too much and failed to deliver on any level as a result. But if you’ve run out of zombie shows to watch, it’s certainly worth a try.

Don’t go into Glitch expecting traditional zombies. In fact, this show is a zombie show in only the loosest of terms: the “zombies” are just long-dead people who have mysteriously come back to life. Glitch eschews horror and thrills in favor of mystery and character relationships.

But as far as expanding on the “humans come back to life” idea, Glitch does a great job. The mood of the show fits the subject matter well, and it can be hauntingly otherworldly at times. It’s a quick series, with its first season comprising six episodes and a similarly short second season releasing in November 2017, but the episodes are dense.

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Gazoo

October 17, 2017 at 11:35 pm

Good list. Big fan of The Walking Dead, Z Nation, Dead Set. Helix's first season was great - not so much that second season.

Santa Clarita Diet and Glitch - I've never heard off. Both sound interesting. Glitch sounds similar to a series I watched a while back (very good too, can't remember the name) where people came back to life. I like that it's "dense" - sounds like it could be a good drama. They're both on my watchlist:)

iZombie I could not stand. Too simple and cute and obvious and 'braindead'. A cutesy and uninspiring zombie detective with the memories of the murder victim at the time of the crime... 'nuf said.